This code is organized to make the laws of the city as accessible as possible to city officials, city employees and private citizens. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with some of the important elements of this code.

Note: The information provided is solely for your own use and cannot be sold. In no event will the City of Berkeley be liable for any damages whatsoever, whether direct, consequential, incidental, special or on claim for attorney fees arising out of the use of or inability to use the information provided. Users should always check with the City Clerk before relying on any code section to determine whether it has been amended subsequent to the most recent posting.

Tables of Contents. There are many tables of contents in this code to assist in locating specific information. At the beginning of the code is the main table of contents listing each title. In addition, each title and chapter has its own table of contents listing the chapters and sections, respectively.

Ordinance History Note. At the end of each code section, you will find an “ordinance history note,” which lists the underlying ordinances for that section. The ordinances are listed by number, section (if applicable) and year (Example: (Ord. 272 § 1, 1992).), with the most recent amendment added to the beginning. The notation “(part)” is used when the code section contains only part of the ordinance (or section of the ordinance) specified; this indicates that there are other areas of the code affected by the same ordinance (or section of the ordinance). If the code section was derived from an earlier codification, the last entry in the note indicates the old or “prior code” section number.

Statutory References. The statutory references direct the code user to those portions of the state statutes that are applicable to the laws of the municipality.

Cross-Reference Tables. When a code is based on an earlier codification, the cross-reference table will help users find older or “prior” code references in the new code. Cross-reference tables are located near the end of Title 14 - Vehicles and Traffic and Title 23 - Zoning. These tables lists the prior code section in the column labeled “Prior Code Section” and the new code section in the column labeled “Herein” for Title 14 and "New Section" for Title 23. These tables will be updated as prior code sections are renumbered or repealed.

Ordinance List and Disposition Table.To find a specific ordinance in the code, turn to the section called “Tables” for the Ordinance List and Disposition Table. This very useful table tells you the status of every ordinance. The table is organized by ordinance number and provides a brief description and the disposition of the ordinance. If the ordinance is codified, the chapter (or chapters) will be indicated. (Example: (2.04, 6.12, 9.04).) If the ordinance is of a temporary nature or deals with subjects not normally codified, such as budgets, taxes, annexations or rezones, the disposition will be “(Special).” If the ordinance is for some reason omitted from the code, usually at the direction of the municipality, the disposition will be “(Not codified).” When an ordinance is repealed, the disposition will be changed to “(Repealed by Ord....)” with the appropriate ordinance number. Other dispositions sometimes used are “(Tabled),” “(Pending),” “(Number Not Used)” or “(Missing).”